Ivan walked inside and closed the door, as if he intended to seal the air around them before Axel could slip away again.
Axel had been ready to speak, he had a thought forming, a protest half-shaped, yet the moment Ivan moved toward him, everything halted.
His words stuck in his throat because Ivan pinned him against the wall with sudden move, the impact grounding Axel so fully that his breath caught.
"You said it yourself, there was really no need for us to drag things out, when someone messed around just address directly and let's talk about it. I fucked up, and I'm apologizing right now," Ivan said.
His voice came out low than Axel expected, each word sinking close enough that Axel felt warmth spread through him in a way he could not stop or hide.
The more Ivan leaned in, the more heat rose through Axel's body, climbing so fast that he felt cornered by his own reaction, afraid that his restraint might slip if Ivan came any closer.
